Cappuccino Romance
by Shadowkitty22
Summary: Behind every successful woman...is a substantial amount of coffee. And it never hurts when it's made by an incredibly attractive male.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** First of all, Happy New Year! It's now 2012 and this is my first contribution of the year. So this story was originally just supposed to be a drabble based off a photo prompt left by the lovely sarcastic_fina over at LJ (I'll provide the link in a little bit). But then I got to talking to jennh07 and the whole thing just blew up in my face and became a multiple chapter story that involved actual research into the area that the characters live and what they do for a living. So pretty much everything you read in this story that sounds like it could possibly be real, totally is. The only thing I actually made up was the name and location of the coffee shop. So that being said, anything that seems real...I don't own. Glee...I don't own. Also this is an AU where I have taken certain liberties with Rachel's family but you'll learn more about that later.

* * *

><p>Rachel Berry tugs her long brown hair back and quickly ties it off with a ponytail holder in an attempt to cool off a little. She had decided to walk from her apartment (it's a cute little one bedroom at a reasonable price at Carolina Court) to her new job at Experience Music Project. It's just over a mile so she figured it would be a great way for her to get some exercise and to do something good for the environment all at the same time. She's only lived in Seattle for about a week but she already loves it so much more than her life back in New York City. While it's still a large metropolis that she can get lost in, it's not so overpopulated that she gets the feeling that she's suffocating.<p>

Her fathers were less than pleased with her decision to up and move clear across the country but she figures that at the age of 28, she's old enough to not have to worry about their approval regarding her life choices all the time. They have wanted Broadway for her since before she could walk and talk at the same time and it's just been non-stop classes in singing, dancing and acting. Rachel understands and appreciates that she seems to have a natural talent for those things but it's just not what she wants for her life. She loves music with all her heart, all kinds of music, but Broadway and its show tunes just aren't what inspire her anymore. She wants to broaden her musical horizons even more and that is how she discovered Experience Music Project and knew that she just had to get involved somehow. So she had applied for a job, was hired and then moved to Seattle all to her parent's chagrin.

The petite brunette is walking down Mercer Street looking up at every intersection to make sure that she doesn't miss her turn when she spots a unique looking coffee shop. Rachel finds it refreshing to see an independent shop in the birthplace of Starbucks and thinks it must be fate for her to enter this shop seeing as how she suddenly finds herself craving a cappuccino, there's not a Starbucks in sight, and it is on the street that she needs to turn left on anyway. Looking up at the obviously hand drawn logo on the large window, she pulls open the door and walks inside.

::::::::::

Noah Puckerman takes advantage of the lull between customers to wash dishes so that they will be clean for use later. He's been awake since 3 am and is very much ready for his best friend and roommate, Sam Evans, to come and relieve him so he can go get some much needed rest. Unfortunately it's only 9 am right now and he still has a few more hours to go. He asks one of the other employees to go and empty the trash in the shop as he wipes down the counters. Noah softly sings along to the music that is playing quietly through the speakers but stops when he hears the tinkle of the bell above the door.

"Welcome to Cosmic Coffee, where the coffee is out of this world," he says in a friendly voice, as he tosses the dirty rag into the collection bin of items that need to be washed, before turning around and seeing a stunningly beautiful brunette. "What can I get for you?"

As she stands in front of the counter reading the menu on the wall, he takes the opportunity to peruse her body. Her hair is long and silky looking, large expressive eyes of the same color, and ridiculously long legs for someone so short. He doesn't really see any makeup so he thinks she must naturally be this good looking, which he's totally not going to knock because he's always preferred women who don't bury themselves under layers of makeup and that's getting harder and harder to find these days.

"I'd like a non fat soy cappuccino please," she tells him as she pulls her wallet out of her purse.

Puck nods his head and smiles as he says, "Sure thing," before heading to the cappuccino machine to start on her order. He's created so many cappuccinos since opening the coffee shop that he swears he could do this in his sleep so he lets his gaze follow her as she wanders around the shop looking at the various photos on the wall.

"I like your mural. The homage to the musical roots of the city is a nice change from what you'd see in Starbucks."

"Shh," he whispers loudly with a finger over his lips and a twinkle in his eye. "We don't speak that name within these hallowed walls. It's sacrilege." He has a smile on his face as he hands her the drink and says, "We pride ourselves in not being like that _other_ shop."

Rachel giggles because she can tell that he's just messing with her. "Well hopefully your cappuccino is as good as the atmosphere because I just moved here and don't really know my way around the city very well. I was actually just on my way to work when I saw your window. Needless to say it intrigued me and drew me in."

Noah looks over at the large window that has the image of a coffee cup and saucer zipping around a planet as it flies through space. "Yeah my friend, Sam, came up with the idea and painted it. We thought it went along well with our slogan."

She nods and is about to take a sip from her cup when she suddenly spots a foamy replica of the shop's logo sitting on top of her cappuccino. She smiles as she glances up at the attractive man behind the counter. "You sure he's the one that painted it?" Rachel asks as she gestures with the cup in her hand.

He smirks, "Yeah I'm sure. He's the more visually artistic one. I tend to just stick to foam art because if it sucks it doesn't really matter since it's just going to get ruined once you take a sip. That's one of the few that I've mastered so far so it gets used a lot." He rubs his hand over the back of his neck and shrugs sheepishly.

"Well it's quite good and I almost hate to mess it up but if I don't I'm going to be late for work," she tells him before finally taking a sip. "Mmmm, yes I definitely think I could get used to this on my way to work." Rachel quickly finishes her drink before placing the cup back on the counter. "Well I should be leaving if I want to make it on time. Enjoy the rest of your day," she says as she heads towards the door.

"You too and it was nice to meet you."

::::::::::

Rachel yawns and stretches her arms and legs while trying to convince herself that she really should get out of bed instead of trying to catch a few more minutes of sleep. She's been at her new job for about a week now and she absolutely loves it even if it's only been the training portion. She's learned more about science fiction than she ever thought possible and even though it's not something she's incredibly passionate about, it's still fun. EMP is currently running a few exhibits on horror films, _Avatar_, Nirvana, _Battlestar Galactica_, Jimi Hendrix and her personal favorite, the guitar gallery. Rachel knows that she could literally spend a few hours just looking at all of the various guitars in the room. She supposes it is only natural given the family she comes from.

Sighing quietly, the brunette pushes herself up and out of bed so that she can start getting ready for work. One of the things that she really loves about her job is the relaxed dress code when it comes to uniforms. She was told that as long as she wears something music or science fiction related that she's considered appropriately dressed. It's definitely the most laid back work atmosphere she's ever been a part of and it's wonderful. Grabbing her keys and wallet, Rachel begins her mile long walk to work. Looking at her watch, she thinks might just have enough time to stop for a cup of coffee on her way.

::::::::::

Spotting the coffee shop on her left when she turns the corner a smile blooms on her face. It really is a cute place. Of course it doesn't hurt that there's an attractive man making her drink for her as well. Her smile only shines brighter when she opens the door and hears a friendly voice call out, "Welcome to Cosmic Coffee, where the coffee is out of this world." Rachel spots the same guy from last week behind the counter and has to bite the inside of her cheek to keep her smile from getting too big. He really is _very_ good looking. "Hey you're back. Wasn't sure if you actually would or not."

"Yes well I feel that it is important to support the little guy more than the corporate big wigs, especially in this economy," she tells him matter-of-factly.

Noah chuckles and mutters something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like _there's nothing little about me_ before asking her, "What would you like today?"

"I'll have another non-fat soy cappuccino please."

"Coming right up." He turns to start her drink but continues their conversation. "You said you were new to town, so where are you from?"

Rachel watches his hands as he moves through the motions of creating her cappuccino before responding, "New York City."

"That's cool. What's it like there?" he asks as he pours the drink into a small white cup.

She sighs and mindlessly tugs at the ends of her hair. "Loud, crowded, rude, lonely. It's a nice change of pace being out here."

Puck looks at her as she answers and can't help but wonder about the twinge of sadness to her features and guesses she must feel a little homesick after having moved clear across the country. "Yeah I imagine it's quite a different scene out here. We're still a large city but not as overpopulated." He puts the finishing touches on her foam art and hands it to her.

Rachel thanks him and looks in curiosity at the design he gave her today since she can't exactly make out what it's supposed to be. "Umm…what happened to the space art?"

Noah has a sheepish smile as he runs his hand over the short bristles on his head. "I decided to try something new. It gets kinda old doing the same images all the time. It didn't quite turn out how I pictured it would."

She giggles and drinks her caffeine quickly before handing the cup back and saying, "Thank you again. I've got to get to work now. Have a good day."

He nods at her as she steps outside. And if for the rest of the day he works on perfecting the apple that he tried to make in her foam art, well that's really all just for the sake of art and doesn't really have anything to do with the leggy brunette from New York City. And when Sam comes in and questions him about the blobby apples he tells him the same thing but that he got the idea after talking to a girl who's new to town from NYC. Sam just chuckles and tells him that his apples look rotten.

::::::::::

Rachel smiles and waves at her fellow coworkers that are working in the ticket office today as she enters the building and goes off to find her boss, William Schuester, to see where he wants her to work today. She finds him sitting inside POP enjoying the rest of his breakfast his girlfriend made him. "Hey Boss." She strolls up to his chair and places her hands on the back of the one opposite him. "What section do you have me working in today?"

"Morning, Rachel," Will says jovially. "I think I'll have you up on the main level today working the audio guide station. Remember to make sure that you recharge all the iPods that get handed back to you."

"Will do," she replies as she goes in the direction of the stairs to get to the second floor. Once she reaches the station, Rachel checks to make sure that all of the iPods that are loaded with the tour guide information are present and accounted for as well as properly charged. She slips the lanyard with her name tag on over her neck as she boots up the computer that she'll be using to check out the devices should anyone like one. Putting a friendly smile on her face, she's prepared to start her day.

::::::::::

Everyday for the next week Noah hopes to see the pretty brunette that likes the non fat soy cappuccinos walk into his shop because he enjoys looking at her and talking to her too. Of course their conversations are never really all that long but he figures that he'll take what he can get for right now, especially considering he doesn't even know her name; just that she moved here from New York City. Hearing the bell above the door jingle, he looks up and smiles. "Hey Stranger. You want your usual?"

Rachel smiles brightly at him and nods. "I didn't realize I come here often enough to have a usual."

"Eh not really. You've just never ordered anything different so I just figured it's what you would want. Although I totally wouldn't mind if you wanted to stop by more often and make it your usual," he tells her with a flirtatious wink.

Rachel blushes at him and says, "I'd like a non fat soy cappuccino please."

"Coming right up," he chuckles as he starts measuring out the espresso. "So what brought you out to Seattle? Change of pace, job, boyfriend, runaway? Although you look a little old to be a runaway."

"Yes and no to all in no particular order," she tells him.

Putting the finishing touches on the foam art he jokes, "Well that's not confusing at all. Here you are."

Taking the drink from his hands, Rachel looks down at the art and is a little surprised but then tells him, "I just really love music and this seemed like a great place where I could get immersed in a different style than Broadway. And I like the apple art."

"Ah so it's noticeable this time then? I've been working on it for a little bit."

Rachel's gaze flicks from the handsome male barista to her cup and then back again as she recalls the circular blob that was in her cup last time and the fact that she had mentioned she came to Seattle from New York City. A warm smile graces her lips as she takes the first sip and thinks that it's nice that he remembers things about her. She moves to a little table to finish her drink before heading off to work.

::::::::::

Puck smirkes as his best friend, roommate and co-owner, Sam Evans, walks into the coffee shop with an incredibly excited look on his face. "Hey what's up?"

"Dude," he says animatedly, "you are never gonna guess what I just heard on the radio."

His eyes flick to his friend as he makes a café breva for the redhead at the counter. She's been giving off flirty vibes but his mind is still stuck on the petite brunette from earlier in the day. He really wishes he knew her name and vows to try and get it from her the next time he sees her. "No clue so spill."

"I just heard that there's an _Avatar_ exhibit at Experience Music Project. I'm so freaking excited but I don't want to seem like a total nerd," he punches Puck when he spots the arched eyebrow and look that says _yeah right_, "so you've gotta go with me."

"Evans, even with me there you'd still look like a nerd," Puck mutters.

Continuing on as if he'd never even heard him speak Sam says, "One of the things you can do is get virtually turned into one of the Na'vi and be directed by James Cameron through one of the scenes in the movie."

"Yes because it's always been my dream to turn into a giant skinny blue dude with a tail," he quips as he hands the drink he just finished to the flirty redhead. He just takes her money and tells her to have a nice day.

"Don't you want to interact with the world of Pandora?" Sam asks incredulously because he just can't understand how anyone _wouldn't_ want to be a part of Pandora.

Puck wipes off the counter and levels him with a stare. "I think I get enough interaction with the world of Pandora every Wednesday night when you watch all three discs of your extended collector's edition of the movie."

"Whatever, Puck, you know it's awesome. They've also got actual props from the movies and just come on, Dude. It's going to be fucking amazing. You know you wanna," the blonde says as he nudges his friend's shoulder.

He sighs at Sam and just says, "You know I like to have one of us at the shop at all times."

"Yeah yeah, I know dude. But its _AVATAR_," he pleads. "You know how fucking epic that movie was. Besides Tina can totally run the shop for a few hours while we go get our geek on."

"Fine whatever," Puck yields. "But I don't want to hear any Na'vi until then."

"Pxasik!" Sam ducks when his roommate throws the dirty towel at his head.

* * *

><p><strong>Translation:<strong> Sam's Na'vi word essentially means "screw that, no way!" but more vulgar like, according to the lovely free Na'vi app on my iPhone.

**Photo Prompt:** http : / / puckrachel . livejournal . com / 650815 . html?thread=17632063#t17632063

**Cosmic Coffee logo:** http : / / lh5 . ggpht . com / coffeesister / SJN47iJbEII / AAAAAAAAAJ4 / qAhkrfDFl-4 / s288 / saturn%20cappuccino . jpeg Just imagine a coffee cup zooming around the planet.


	2. Chapter 2

Rachel strolls into Cosmic Coffee for her usual Thursday morning pick me up and stops short when she doesn't see the gorgeous man with the short brown hair and piercing hazel eyes behind the counter. Instead there's some pretty Asian girl who Rachel's sure she's seen around the shop before but she's just gotten so used to seeing _Mr. Sexy Coffee Man_ that she likes to think of him as _her_ barista, which is of course just silly since he makes coffee for plenty of other people. She walks up to the counter and orders her cappuccino and gazes wistfully into the cup at the complete lack of foam art. Apparently it's not something that all of the employees know how to do. So she leaves for work feeling uncharacteristically sad about no sexy coffee man and no foam art.

::::::::::

Puck groans at the obvious excitement emanating from his big lipped best friend. "Dude, calm the fuck down. It's not like the exhibit is going anywhere anytime soon."

"Tifnu!"

He shoves Sam and says, "Seriously, Evans. What the fuck did I say about that language? It's way too early to be doing this. I'm so tired."

The blonde just laughs. "Seriously, Puck? It's 10 am how are you tired?"

"My body isn't used to waking up this late so it's throwing me off my game," Puck mutters as he rubs his eyes underneath his glasses. He couldn't be bothered dealing with his contacts this morning. He just hopes he doesn't run into anyone he knows since most people aren't aware that he needs glasses and contacts.

"Whatever. Come on, they're opening the doors," Sam says while bouncing on the balls of his feet like a little kid going to see Santa Claus at the mall.

Puck sighs and follows after his friend as some dude in a wheelchair unlocks the doors and rolls away. He doesn't want to say anything (because it would admit that he is perhaps more interested than he has any right to be right now) but he's also a little miffed at the fact that he's not working today since Thursday is the day that the leggy brunette always comes in to get her non fat soy cappuccino. He's grown used to seeing her at least once a week and learning more about her bit by bit. Puck can't help but think that today just might suck simply for the fact that he hasn't seen her and that shits messed up.

He trudges after Sam as the guy practically races up the stairs to the main level straight past the audio guide station. He'd given Puck his membership card before they entered the building so that way he wouldn't have to wait in line for the iPod and could just go straight to the exhibit. Puck on the other hand just takes his time and stares in awe at the huge sculpture of various guitars. He's never seen so many guitars of all brands, makes, models, shapes, sizes and colors before in his life. The musician in him is aching to pull one out and just start playing. Taking one last look at the hodge podge of guitars, he turns around and heads to the audio guide station.

He stands at the end of the line and waits his turn. Puck can see the entrance to the _Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses_ exhibit on his left and he thinks that he might take a quick look at it seeing as how he is living in the city where the whole grunge rock sound originated. It never hurts to broaden your musical knowledge and history from time to time. When it's his turn at the counter he tells the young kid that he needs two and hands over his friend's membership card so that he doesn't have to pay for them. Puck notices that there's a brunette working the other side of the counter and he thinks that her ass looks killer in those jeans and that she kinda reminds him of his coffee shop girl that he didn't get to see this morning because of this damn _Avatar_ crap that Sam dragged him to. He wants her to turn around so he can see if her front looks as good as her backside but she doesn't and he doesn't want to look like a creep standing there staring at her so he just thanks the guy for the iPods and moves on over to the Nirvana exhibit.

::::::::::

All in all at the end of the day, Puck tells Sam that he had a good time and that the _Avatar_ stuff was actually kinda cool but that he totally owes him for denying him the one day a week that he gets to see hot coffee girl.

::::::::::

"Hey you're here today," he hears as the bell over the door tinkles. He looks up and smiles at the pretty brunette that he didn't get to see last week.

Puck wipes his hands on a towel and moves to begin working on her usual drink as he says, "Yeah my buddy dragged me to the _Avatar_ exhibit over at EMP."

Rachel's eyes widen slightly. "You saw it last Thursday?" He nods. "Wow. I can't believe I missed you then."

He fills a carafe with some milk before inserting the steam nozzle and looks at her. "Were you there?"

She nods and watches as he begins working on her foam art. She's kind of ridiculously excited to see what it might be today since she didn't get any last time. "I actually work there. Right now I spend most of my time handing out audio guides but it's ok because I enjoy the atmosphere."

Puck can't believe it. The petite brunette with the fine ass that he saw at EMP last week must have been her. "Small world huh?"

She smiles prettily and accepts the cup from him when he hands it to her. "Yes it must be. It's just a shame we missed each other last week. I've grown used to my cappuccinos having creative foam art. It just wasn't the same last week." Rachel then looks down and sees a few music notes along with the word _'eve_ and looks up at him curiously. "I can understand the music notes but I don't exactly comprehend why they're with the word eve."

He chuckles and tells her, "My friend that dragged me to the exhibit, Sam, is also my roommate and he's crazy hardcore into that shit to the point that he knows and understands Na'vi. I hear him speaking it constantly around the apartment and you can't help but pick up a thing or two."

Rachel giggles at the way he talks about his friend. It's obvious to her that the two have a close friendship just from the tone of voice he uses in regards to the other man. "So what does it mean?"

"Girl."

She gazes back down at her cup and puts two and two together before looking back up at him. "So _music girl_ then?"

He scratches the back of his neck to try and play of hiss embarrassment. "Yeah, it just seemed kinda fitting since you work at Experience Music Project and all. Figured you must like music or something like that."

"Well I think it's cool and you're correct of course. I do enjoy music very much especially since it's an important part of my family history." She beams at him before taking a sip. "Wonderful as always."

Puck smirks. "Course it is. I made it."

::::::::::

So he is totally unsure about how to ask his friend about what is practically the dude's second language so he figures that just jumping right in and going for broke is better than nothing. "So uh…Na'vi…how long'd it take you to learn that?"

Sam's hand freezes in the middle of channel surfing between the sports highlights on ESPN and Fox Sports Net to look over at his roommate with a wide eyed stare. "Few years. Why?"

"No real reason. You just slip into it sometimes when we talk and I was curious," he says casually.

The blonde nods his head slowly before settling on some football highlights. "There's actually an iPhone app that's a Na'vi dictionary. It goes from English to Na'vi and Na'vi to English." He pulls out his phone in excitement to show his best friend. It's so rare for the other male to show any interest in anything related to _Avatar_. "It's free and totally cool. Comes in real handy if I forget how to say or spell something."

Puck takes the phone from him and taps around a little bit before tossing it back with a, "Dork."

Sam catches his phone and punches lightly at Puck's shoulder, "Ass." They chuckle and turn back to watching the tv. When the highlights are over, he changes the channel because he doesn't feel like listening to the douche coming on next because he's highly opinionated when it comes to the teams he likes and doesn't like. So much for non biased news; even if it is only a sports channel. Getting up off the couch, he heads into the kitchen to get something to drink. "So anything exciting happen at work today?"

"I saw her today."

The blonde's eyebrow ticks up at this piece of information. Puck keeps mentioning her every now and then and he's never even slept with the girl. Hell the last he knew, his best friend didn't even know the girl's name. "Yeah? How'd that go?"

Puck tips his head back along the couch and says, "Turns out she works at EMP and was there the day you dragged me to the _Avatar_ exhibit."

"Seriously?" When his friend nods Sam says, "That's pretty cool. Kinda funny that we didn't run into her."

"Pretty much what I thought except for I did see her," he responds. "Well her backside at least but I didn't know it was her at the time. But yeah, she came into the shop today and was all excited to see me."

Sam grins at the stupid look that is on his friend's face that he's pretty sure he isn't even aware he's sporting. Deciding to mess with him he calls out, "So I'm thinking I'll open the shop next Thursday." He chuckles when he sees Puck's head whip around towards the kitchen once the words are out there.

"What? Why? Thursdays are my day dude."

"Yeah but I figure this way I can meet this mystery girl you keep talking about," he says nonchalantly. "I mean she's gotta be something special if you keep talking about her and you're always at home working on some new cappuccino foam art because of some conversation that y'all had recently."

Puck bounds up off the couch and into the kitchen and says forcefully, "No way dude. Hot coffee girl is mine and she only comes in on Thursdays. And I'm not working on my foam art just for her. It never hurts to know new designs to keep the customers coming back for more."

"Hot Coffee Girl, huh? Or Som naer 'evenge. Perhaps I can woo her with my Na'vi skills and write her secret messages in her foam."

Puck shoves his friend's shoulder hard and knocks him backwards into the counter and practically yells, "Fuck you dude. I already did that so you keep your Na'vi lovin ass away from my Hot Coffee Girl. And you aren't taking my Thursdays."

Sam just doubles over in laughter at the thought of his _badass_ best friend using Na'vi foam art to get a girl's attention. He has got to meet this girl. No matter what.

::::::::::

Rachel power walks the last few blocks to the corner of Mercer and 5th and suddenly remembers that it's Thursday and that Thursday has now become her favorite day of the week because it means its _Mr. Sexy Coffee Man_ day and that she has to stop in and get her usual order. Spotting the 5th Avenue sign, she slows down to a walk so she won't appear out of breath when she enters the shop. Turning the corner, she smiles when she sees the colorful painted window and then quickly walks to it in the hopes of getting her caffeine with a side of hunky barista.

Pulling open the door, Rachel hears the standard greeting but it's not the voice she is used to hearing by now. Instead she sees a cute blonde man with an abnormally large mouth standing behind the counter. Determined to not let her disappointment show, she keeps the smile on her face as she steps up to the display window and tells the man her order.

::::::::::

Sam hears the jingle of the bell above the door and immediately responds with, "Welcome to Cosmic Coffee, where the coffee is out of this world." He's been looking at all of the females that have walked in this morning trying to figure out which woman is the one that his best friend is smitten with. When he hears the petite brunette in front of the counter ask for a non fat soy cappuccino he just smiles because he knows he's finally found her.

The blonde carefully pays attention to each step in the process of making her cappuccino because he knows he isn't as good at making them as Puck is. But he's able to sneak in covert glances at her every now and then and he can definitely see why she is physically appealing to his friend. Her hair is really pretty and shiny looking; her eyes are large and bright. While her nose probably doesn't fall into a normal idea of cute or beautiful, she manages to pull it off well. Her chest is a little small but he's always subscribed to the school of thought that anything more than a handful is just wasted. He can see that her waist is tiny but that her legs are definitely one of her better physical features and he knows that Puck is a serious leg man.

"So I don't think I've seen you in here before," she tells him. "Are you new?"

Sam chuckles and continues to work on her drink. "No I'm not new. My name is Sam and I'm actually one of the owners. I just tend to work opposite hours of the other owner."

"Oh, well it's nice to meet you." Then remembering something from a conversation that she had a few weeks back she suddenly blurts out, "You're Sam, the one that drew the image on the window right?"

He looks up at her, slightly startled that she would know that. "Yeah that was me. How'd you know?" Sam removes her drink from the machine and begins to write in her foam.

"The really well muscled man with the short brown hair and hazel eyes told me about it the first time I came here. I noticed that he had replicated it in the foam in my cup. He's very talented," she tells him.

Sam finishes with her drink and hands it to her saying, "Well I'm glad you like it. I'm not as skilled in foam art as he is. But then again I don't tend to take my work home with me and work on new ideas for it either. I tend to just stick with other mediums for my art."

Rachel glances into her cup out of habit and sees the words _sevin 'eve_ and then looks back up at him. "Well you might not be able to draw in foam very well but you seem to hold your own with writing in it. Although I'm afraid that I still don't understand what has been written. Except if I remember correctly, _'eve_ means girl in Na'vi right?"

He perks up when he hears the pretty brunette speaking his favorite language. "Yeah that's right." He also can't help but chuckle at knowing that his best friend did in fact use Na'vi on this girl. He wonders what he wrote.

She looks at him expectantly as if just trying to compel him to tell her what the other word means but when he doesn't she asks him outright. "So what does the _sevin_ mean then?"

Sam smiles broadly and answers simply, "I think you should ask Puck what it means the next time you see him."

"Puck?" Rachel asks curiously.

The big lipped blonde grins and says, "Yep. He's my roommate, the other co-owner and the guy that you're used to seeing on Thursdays."

Rachel bites her lower lip and smiles as she realizes that she now knows the name of the barista that she has a slight crush on. She takes a sip of her drink and waves goodbye to Sam as she heads out the door on her way to work.

* * *

><p><strong>Translations: <strong>Tifnu - Silence

Som naer 'evenge - Hot drink girl (I couldn't find coffee in the iPhone app, so since coffee is a drink I just substituted)

So pretty much everything that I mentioned inside of EMP is real, the sculpture of guitars as well as the two exhibits, so of course all credit goes to the people at EMP.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** So this chapter is coming out sooner than I had planned because my laptop stopped recognizing my external hard drive (that place where I store not only my entire iTunes library but also my fics) and told me that I needed to format it. At the time I didn't think anything of it, even though my computer would no longer recognize the EHD whenever I plugged it in. But it wasn't until about 4:30 this morning that I realized that if I couldn't get into my EHD then I couldn't get to the rest of this story and I started freaking out. So I emailed a friend and freaked out on her (you know who you are and hey look! - I solved my problem) and then thought to just plug the EHD into my husband's computer and see if I could access it that way. Luckily I could, so I rescued my fics and emailed them to myself.

So long story short, I saved the day and y'all get the reward. Also, I don't own Glee or any of the real life places in Seattle that are mentioned in this story.

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><p>Puck checks the clock on the wall again and sighs when he realizes what time it is. It's almost 10 am on a Thursday and he hasn't seen his hot coffee girl yet which is odd since she always shows up before her shift at EMP and he's grown so used to seeing her that he's actually already got her usual order ready and waiting for her on the counter complete with foam art (which may or may not be his phone number). When the clock says 10:05 he just shakes his head and pours her drink into a to go cup before scribbling down the type of drink on one side of the cardboard sleeve and his name and number on the other side (since the foam got messed up when he poured the cappuccino into the cup). He sets it on the ready counter and turns towards the customer who just entered the shop. It's the same flirty redheaded woman from a few weeks ago and when she orders a soy cappuccino, he can't help but look over at the drink that's sitting in the white coffee cup.<p>

She glances over at it and when she reads on the cardboard sleeve that it's essentially the same thing that she ordered, only slightly healthier because of the non fat, she tells him, "I'll just take that one."

When she goes to reach for it, his hand shoots out and says, "No. Actually that's for someone else. She's usually here by now." The bell above the door jingles and his face changes when he sees the petite brunette woman in question. "That's actually her right now."

"I'm so sorry I'm late," Rachel tells him breathlessly. She practically ran the entire way because she woke up late and she knows that she really doesn't have the time to be stopping for her drink but she just wanted to see the sexy barista, especially ever since his roommate told her what his name is.

He smirks and holds out the cup to her. "It might be a little cold since I thought you'd be here on time." She blushes and thanks him as she hands over a few dollar bills to pay for it before heading back outside. Puck just turns back to the other woman who now has a mildly annoyed look on her face and says, "Soy cappuccino right?"

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Rachel enters the employee room at EMP and is about to throw away her coffee cup when she spots a note written on the cardboard sleeve. She smiles when she reads the message he left for her

_Call me next time you're running late. 206-385-4378 ~ Puck_

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Puck feels his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulls it out to see that he has a new text message.

_Thank you for your number._

His hand closes around his cell phone briefly before he smirks and stores the number under _Hot Coffee Girl_ before slipping the device back into his pocket.

::::::::::

Later that day his phone rings and vibrates across the coffee table and before he can pick it up, Sam snatches it and laughs out, "_Hot Coffee Girl?_"

"Shut up," Puck mutters as he pauses the game with his controller before tossing it aside and grabbing the phone out of his roommate's hand and pushing the accept button and says, "Hello?"

"Hi." There's a slight pause before she starts talking again. "I don't know if you remember me but I'm the girl from the coffee shop."

_How could I forget_, he thinks to himself but he doesn't want to seem too excited because she's only had his number for a few hours and is already calling him. "Yeah you're gonna have to give me more to go on than that. I see a lot of females at the shop."

Puck can see Sam rolling his eyes at this admittedly lame flirting and just picks up a pillow and chucks it at his friend's head just in time to hear her voice say, "The one you gave your number to this morning." She pauses slightly, not really giving him enough time to respond before she starts back up again, "Unless of course you give your number out to a lot of women; which if that is the case then I really shouldn't have bothered you. I can just hang up and pretend this never happened. Possibly even find another coffee shop on my way to work."

His eyes bug out slightly at the rush of words that just came out of her mouth and the only thing he can really register is the last sentence and that she just said she might find another place to get her coffee and the thought of not seeing this sexy brunette at least once a week just isn't kosher. "Whoa whoa whoa. Slow down, Baby. I'm just messing with you. Of course I remember you. You're my 10 am Thursday non fat soy cappuccino." He throws another pillow at Sam's head when he hears him making kissing noises before getting up off the couch and walking into his bedroom for a little privacy.

"Oh," she says quietly. "So you do remember me then. Well that makes this easier I suppose. Anyway, the reason I was calling is that I'm still new in town and don't really know my way around or what there is to do for fun here and I figured maybe, if you're free, you'd like to show me some of the sights and what kind of entertainment that this city has to offer?"

He lies down on his bed and bunches the pillows under his head until he finds a comfortable spot and says with a smirk in his voice, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"I-I well," she stutters and then clears her throat before speaking again, "Well actually I was thinking more along the lines of a friendly outing where you could be a good neighbor, so to speak, and show me around while we hopefully strike up a friendship that could have the chance to blossom outside of your coffee shop. But if you're not interested then I'm sure I can figure out this city on my own with the help of mapquest and Google."

Puck chuckles and tells her, "You've really gotta learn to let other people speak every now and then. But yeah, I'd be down for showing you around Seattle some time. When did you have in mind? I have Saturday free."

"Really? You'll show me around? You're wonderful and Saturday sounds good. I've got something to do in the morning but I could meet you at your shop at noon if you'd like," she says happily.

He can't help but grin at hearing how happy she is that he's willing to spend time with her. Truth is he would have used pretty much any excuse out there to see more of her but for whatever stupid reason he just went about his sweet ass time giving her his number because he had kinda been hoping she would give him hers first. But whatever, he's now got a "friendly outing" with the brunette that has intrigued him from the moment she set foot in the coffee shop.

::::::::::

Rachel smiles at the other people around her and offers a friendly, "Have a good day," to a few of them as she packs away the guitar that she was borrowing for the class because she left hers at home. She waves at her fellow co-worker, Artie, who was also the instructor for today's guitar lesson. She tells him she'll see him next week as she heads downstairs to exit the building so that she can head over to Cosmic Coffee and meet Puck for their day of exploring Seattle.

She can't keep the smile off her face as she gets closer to the coffee shop. Glancing up at the sky she sees that it is a wonderfully clear and sunny day which is apparently unheard of for the month of October according to everyone she's talked to today that has lived here a lot longer than her. Although there is a slight chill to the air, so while she's grateful for the long sleeved cream colored sweater dress that she's wearing, she really wishes she had thought to put on a pair of leggings as well. Instead she readjusts the purse on her shoulder and starts walking a little faster so that she can get to the coffee shop quicker.

The petite brunette tries to hide her large smile when she spots Puck leaning against the window of his shop and taking a sip from the cup in his hand. He looks so good with his aviators while wearing a grey hoodie, jeans and sneakers that it's unreal and completely unfair. She waves when he looks up and then her smile completely breaks free when he waves back and starts walking towards her with a second cup.

He hands it to her and says, "Your usual. My treat this time."

Rachel tucks a lock of hair behind her ear before taking a sip and letting the warmth flow through her body. "Thank you. So what did you have in mind today? I hope I'm appropriately dressed because I'm still trying to get used to this Seattle weather."

Puck's eyes slowly travel down her body and he takes in the small amount of cleavage she's showing from the v-neck of her dress and he swears that he can spot some lace, but he's not sure if it's a bra or just a camisole. His gaze lingers on her bare legs for awhile before noticing her brown suede boots. Sweeping his eyes back up her body, he notices the faint hint of a blush on her cheeks and that she's fidgeting a little. "You look great so I'm sure you'll be fine. But I figured today we'd go check out Pike Place Market and then if we've got time the waterfall gardens have always been a favorite quiet place of mine within the city. You ok to walk around town in those boots? Everything is just within a few miles of each other so I figured we'd just walk if that's ok with you."

Rachel points her toe and holds her leg out as she looks down at her foot. Twisting it one way and then the other she says, "They are quite comfortable and as long as you don't have me hiking all over town I should be fine." She notices him staring at her leg and grins because she's glad to know that she's at least somewhat attractive to him since she's incredibly attracted to him.

"Just a few miles, I promise." He smirks and then sweeps his arm out in the direction they need to go. "Shall we?" She smiles and falls in step with him as they walk down the sidewalk. "So am I ever going to get your name or should I just keep thinking of you as Hot Coffee Girl?"

She laughs loudly next to him and asks, "Hot Coffee Girl? Is that what you've been calling me? Is that what _sevin_ means in Na'vi? Sam told me I should ask you."

Puck chuckles along with her. "Well I didn't know your name so what else was I supposed to call you?"

"True I suppose."

"And if I'm not mistaken," he says as he pulls out his phone to check the app that Sam apparently put on there the other day, "_sevin_ means pretty."

Rachel gives him a shy smile and tells him, "I'd been calling you something similar to Hot Coffee Girl until Sam told me that your name is Puck."

His eyebrow arches at this piece of information. "So what was I? Hot Coffee Man?" He waggles his eyebrows as he says this and she just laughs some more.

"Something like that. But I've since changed it to Puck. Although I can't seem to think that Puck can possibly be your real name." She takes a sip of her cappuccino as they keep walking down 5th Avenue towards their first destination.

"That's because it's not," he stops walking and holds out his hand, "Noah Puckerman."

She grabs his hand and shakes it with her own, reveling in the warmth and tingles that radiate up her arm. "It's nice to meet you, Noah." Rachel lets go of his hand and tries to start walking again but she feels his callused fingers wrap around her wrist as he tugs her back and she looks up at him. "Yes?"

"Are you not going to give me your name?"

"Are we playing the name game version of I'll show you mine if you show me yours?" Her eyelashes flutter flirtatiously.

Puck smirks and rubs his thumb over the pulse in her wrist. "Well we can play the real version if you prefer." He pauses to stare at her pink lips and has to bite back a growl when she unconsciously licks them. "But seriously, what's your name?"

"Rachel. Rachel Berry."

::::::::::

"Welcome to Pike Place Market," he says and makes a sweeping hand gesture. "Your one stop shop for antiques, comic books, restaurants, flowers and fresh produce. It's also the home of the first _coffee shop that must not be named_," she giggles at his silliness and then stops walking when he does in front of a particularly fragrant shop, "and the world famous fish market. This fish market has been on quite a few tv shows."

Rachel arches her eyebrow and just gives him a look. "I'll have to remember about the comic books. My dad is a huge Batman fan and it," she pauses and gently tugs on her earlobe while trying to think of a polite way to phrase her comment, "really smells over here."

Puck laughs heartily at her astute observation. "Haha yeah, but you get used to it after awhile. I've actually got a buddy that works here. Let me see if I can find him." His eyes scour the men behind the counters and when he spots his friend he shouts out, "Hey Finn!"

A ridiculously tall guy with brown hair and a goofy grin looks over when he hears his name and waves, "Hey Puck! What brings you here today?"

Rachel watches as the two men do some sort of complex series of hand gestures that ends in an exploding fist bump and she can't help but smile at the obvious easy going friendship between the two.

"Nothing much. Just showing Rachel here," he holds his hand out to the petite brunette to gesture her closer and is surprised when she actually puts her hand in his, "some of the highlights of Seattle since she's new to town."

Finn smiles and looks at Rachel. "That's cool. It's nice to meet you, Rachel. I'd shake your hand but it's kinda fishy."

"Much appreciated," she says her nose scrunching slightly at the unfamiliar scent.

"Actually," Puck starts, "I was kinda wondering if you guys had any fish that needed to be tossed around? Figured I'd give her a show and maybe even have her catch and toss a few."

Rachel's eyes widen in shock at the thought of them tossing fish around (how unsanitary!) let alone her actually touching them. "Noah, I'm a vegetarian."

He looks at her. "Well it's not like I'm asking you to eat it and besides, don't vegetarians not eat red meat only? So fish totally doesn't count."

She sighs and looks at him. "Well technically a vegetarian is by definition a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains."

He stares at her in silence and just blinks before responding, "Ok Merriam Webster. So you do eat fish or not?"

Launching into her vegetarian spiel she informs him, "Well there's the pesco-vegetarians who eat fish, dairy products and eggs along with plant foods. Lacto-vegetarians include dairy products in their diet. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians also eat dairy products and eggs. And then there's the semi-vegetarians, who cheat a little and eat a little poultry along with fish, as well as dairy products and eggs." She notices that his eyes have kinda glazed over during her little speech and so she pokes him in the chest.

"Well that's all," he pauses as if he's trying to find the right words while rubbing at the spot on his chest because even though he doesn't want to admit it, her pointy finger hurt, "very fascinating but you still didn't answer my question. Do you eat fish or not?"

Rachel chuckles, "No I don't eat meat of any kind-"

Puck interrupts her, "Wait by meat of any kind, does that include," he gestures down to the crotch of his jeans.

She rolls her eyes at his comment but can't hide her blush as she tries to continue as if he didn't say anything, "including fish."

"Oh it's definitely not fishy." He winks as she huffs at him. "But yeah, seriously, I'm not asking you to eat the damn fish, just to toss it around a little. I'll do it with you."

Finn just stands there staring at his friend with the pretty brunette and can't help but chuckle. "Yeah come on, Rachel. It's not like they're going to feel anything."

Rachel looks back and forth from Noah to his friend before sighing and throwing up her hands. "Oh fine. I give up. But I absolutely insist on some sort of protection from my clothing because I refuse to wind up smelling like fish at the end of the day."

"Sure thing," Finn tells her with a grin as he moves around behind the counter before reappearing with a pair of bright orange coveralls and hands them to her. "Here you go. They'll probably be too big but they're the best I can get in order to cover up most of your dress."

She smiles and thanks him. Holding on to Puck for balance she manages to step into them and put the straps over her shoulders. The petite brunette looks down at herself and can't help but laugh at how ridiculous she looks. She's literally swimming in a pile of orange fabric and feels silly.

Puck smirks. "Looking good but here," he strips off his hoodie leaving him in only a tight t-shirt that clings to his muscles in a manner that is very distracting for Rachel, "you'll need this to cover your sleeves."

Rachel holds the hoodie in her hands and looks at him. "Are you sure, Noah? I don't want it to smell like fish either."

He shrugs and says, "I don't mind. I can just wash it out later. But just put it on and get your sexy ass back behind the counter."

She feels her cheeks turn pink at the compliment before tossing the warm garment over her head. She inhales deeply at the neck and smiles at the scent of coffee and something musky that just mixes into something purely Noah. Rachel follows him behind the counter and listens to the instructions that Finn gives her in regards to how to catch a fish properly. The brunette female screams when the first one comes flying at her and the guys in the shop laugh good naturedly. She just shoves up the sleeves of the hoodie she's wearing and says, "Again."

The men in the shop cheer at her good attitude about it all and begin chanting again as they toss another fish at her. They shout excitedly when she catches one and holds it above her head as she jumps up and down in joy. "I did it! I did it!"

The smile that she gives Puck is so blindingly bright that he can't help but smile in return and kiss her cheek, surprising both of them. Her arms lower and she hands the fish off to Finn as she continues to look at Puck and just blink at him owlishly. He rubs the back of his neck nervously and tells her, "Good job."

"Thank you," she responds quietly. Rachel moves to wash her hands to remove the feeling of dead fish from her hands and then removes his hoodie and hands it back to Noah before stripping out of the orange overalls and returning those to Finn. "So," she says slowly, "what should we do now?"

"Umm, let's just walk around and I can show you my favorite spots at the market." The pair says goodbye to Finn and the rest of the guys at the fish market before making their way further into Pike Place Market. Puck shows her where the comic book shops are in case she wants to come back to buy something for her dad someday. He takes her past his favorite restaurants, the produce section, the flower vendors and even points out the Starbucks. He won't go in it though and she doesn't ask to which kinda makes him happy.

They end their trip through the market with a visit to Thomas the Balloon Man. The dude's been here for longer than he can remember but he's cool. He pays him to make them some balloons and they wind up leaving with a sword for him along with a crown and flower for her. The smile on her face and the sparkle in her brown eyes makes him feel kind of proud of himself for putting them there and grateful that their moment of awkwardness at the fish market seems to have disappeared.

Before Puck takes Rachel home, he makes sure they visit the waterfall garden park so that she can see one of his favorite places to go when he just wants to go somewhere quiet and be around nature. She tells him that it's beautiful there and thanks him for showing it to her. When they leave, they head back to Cosmic Coffee and she briefly says hello to Sam before giving Noah a kiss on the cheek and letting him know that she had a wonderful time and that they should do it again sometime soon.

He stands outside and watches her walk away before going back inside only to punch his roommate on the arm at the smug look on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** So I think perhaps after the most recent episode that a little Puckleberry action is needed. Am I right? Once again, I don't own any of the real places that are mentioned, any of the real people, the movies or the Glee characters. So on that note, enjoy!

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><p>The next time they hang out Puck suggests a visit to the Pacific Science Center. She looks at him kinda oddly but he tells her to just trust him and that it's a really cool place. He buys them pretty much like an all day pass to see all of the various exhibits and IMAX shows that they could possibly want. Rachel tries to tell him that she can pay but he just tells her to keep it so she can keep buying coffee from him. She rolls her eyes at his not so subtle attempt at telling her she should stop by the shop more often and he just winks at her.<p>

Their first stop of the day is the King Tut exhibit. Apparently it's some really super huge big deal since this is its last stop in the US and has more stuff to see than when it originally came to the country some forty years ago. Puck's honestly not incredibly interested in looking at the mummified remains of the rulers that used to oppress his people way back in the day or something like that. But he does shell out the $6 for the audio guide since it's voiced by Harrison Ford and he can at least pretend like he's on an adventure with Indiana Jones. Dude was a fucking badass in the day and he had a whip!

Rachel grabs his hand and practically drags him (not literally since he'll go pretty much anywhere with her willingly if she's got her hands on him) into the tropical butterfly house. She doesn't let go once they're in there but Puck doesn't bother to say anything since he kinda likes it. He's not really into the whole butterfly thing since they just seem really girly so instead he watches Rachel as she gazes at the various multi colored insects. His attention however turns from her face to her neck when she pulls her hair up and into a messy ponytail because it's rather humid in the little building. He watches a small droplet of sweat run down her neck from behind her ear and has to control himself from following the same path with his tongue since 1) they're in public and 2) they're just supposed to be friends right now and last time he checked, friends don't lick sweat off each other.

It's not long before a butterfly lands on her shoulder because it is attracted to the brightly colored t-shirt that she's wearing. The smile on her face is just really adorable and he chuckles lightly at her pout when the insect flies away. When they leave the exhibit she asks him to check her back for any butterflies that might be wanting to escape and he gives her a light pat down (totally grabbed some ass) instead just so he can touch her some more.

"I asked you to check, Noah. Not try to squish them by groping me," Rachel admonishes him.

Puck smirks and tells her, "Just trying to be thorough."

::::::::::

She walks by the room with the Puzzle Palooza exhibit but he stops her with a hand to her shoulder. Rachel gets a small smile on her face at the contact because even though it's all been (mostly) innocent, she still likes that he wants to touch her because she really wants to touch him. Puck just slides his hand over to her other shoulder so that she's now tucked under his arm as he leads her into the puzzle room. It's a little known secret about him that he's an avid puzzler.

They walk around the room looking at all the various puzzles and even try out a few of them. It's not until they reach the center of the room that his arm slides off her shoulder because he's standing in awe in front of this 26 foot tall Rubik's cube known as Groovik's Cube. All the squares light up and you can try to solve it at one of the three stations that surround it. His eyes light up and he bounces on the balls of his feet as tells her excitedly, "Watch this."

So Rachel stands there and watches as Noah systematically solves the giant cube puzzle one large lit up square at a time. Fifteen minutes later his arms shoot up into the air with a victory cry as some celebratory music starts playing through the speakers. She claps her hands giddily and loops her arms around his neck in order to give him a hug and she just can't help herself as she kisses him on the corner of his mouth. The petite brunette sort of stiffens in shock and pulls away from him since she had meant to kiss his cheek but missed. Her cheeks are flushed with her embarrassment.

Puck just wraps an arm around her waist while the other rests along the side of her neck as he pulls her back towards his body for a proper kiss. He's wanted to do it for weeks now and since that little peck was as close to his lips as she's ever been, he decides to just take the dive and go for it. He smirks into the kiss when he feels her hands grasp the sides of his shirt as she moans into his mouth. Puck rubs his thumb along her jaw as he ends the kiss and smiles when he sees the slightly dazed expression in her eyes once she opens them.

"What was that for?" she asks him.

He shrugs. "Been wanting to since I met you."

"Oh," she says with a cute smile before threading their fingers together and walking out of the exhibit room. "Congratulations on solving the puzzle by the way. I didn't realize you were so good at them."

Puck laughs and tells her, "Just one of my many talents. If you're lucky you'll find out the rest of them some other time."

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They skip the dinosaur and health exhibits since they honestly haven't really changed much from when they were kids, even if they were at different museums. It's not like a tyrannosaurus rex is going to come alive or that smoking is suddenly going to turn good for you. When he tries to take her to the Insect Village, Rachel digs in her heels and flat out refuses to go. Puck asks her why and when she tells him that bugs are icky and gross he just laughs and reminds her that butterflies are bugs too and she went to see them. She just sniffs with her nose in the air all snooty like and says, "Yes but they're pretty," and that's that.

He doesn't really care though because it's getting dark now and he knows that the Laser Dome shows are going to be starting soon and he's actually really excited for those. Except when he finds out that the first show of the evening is Laser Gaga he kinda wants to shoot himself in the foot because he remembers having to sing Lady Gaga songs with his Glee club back in high school. But whatever, Rachel is expressing interest in watching it so he settles down next to her when they lie down on the floor and tucks her tiny body against his because Puck figures if he's going to watch and listen to this crap that he might as well get something enjoyable out of it.

And when the show is over he hates to admit it, but a laser light show to Lady Gaga actually wasn't that bad. Although he's a little disturbed at the idea that he was kinda getting turned on by watching the green laser women dancing, stripping and gyrating to _Bad Romance._ He feels better when he blames his half hard state on the fact that he was watching "laser soft core porn" with Rachel pressed against his side, her hand resting on his chest and her feet tangled up with his. Either way it definitely beat performing to her songs hands down any day of the week though. But he's still going to make Rachel lay there with him for the next show which is the way cooler Laser Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon show.

::::::::::

Turns out that Rachel Berry is a Pink Floyd fan which honestly really rather surprised him after he just sat through (laid down same difference) an hour of Lady Gaga. But Puck was able to pick out her feminine voice singing along to the lyrics and she knew every word. He's never been so turned on by a woman before and all she did was sing close to his ear while laying next to him in the dark in a room full of people. And if it weren't for all those people he probably would have already rolled over on top of her and started kissing the crap out of her.

When the show is over, Puck turns his head to look at her and asks, "Do you want to hang around for another hour or so and catch the midnight showing of The Wall?"

Rachel blinks lazily and stretches next to him, which causes her petite frame to rub up against the side of his body and that's totally not helping with his situation downstairs. She covers her mouth when she yawns and tells him, "Can I get a rain check? We've been here all day. I'm kind of beat and I have to be somewhere tomorrow morning."

He smirks because he just locked down the promise of some more free time with her without even having to try. But it doesn't surprise him since he's insanely attracted to her and the chemistry between them is pretty incredible. "Sure thing," he tells her as he stands up and holds out his hand to help her up.

When they get outside, the temperature has dropped and Rachel shivers slightly, so he shrugs off his leather jacket and drapes it around her shoulders. It really dwarfs her and he can't help but chuckle at how cute she looks in it. She shoves her arms in the sleeves and wraps it around herself and tries to discreetly sniff the collar and he totally catches her but doesn't say anything about it. He likes that she seems to enjoy wearing his clothing.

::::::::::

As they pull up to her apartment building, Rachel shifts in her seat to look him in the eye as she thanks him for the day's outing. She leans across the truck cab to kiss him because she figures that they've already kissed once today so there's nothing wrong with doing it again. Her fingers lace together behind his neck as she presses her lips to his and gently nips at his bottom lip. A thrill runs through her body at his low growl as he drags her across the bucket seat so that her body is closer and he can touch her more freely.

They spend the next twenty minutes or so just kissing and essentially making out in the front seat of his truck like a couple of horny teenagers, complete with fogged up windows. He laughs when she mentions them like they're some sort of scandalous thing and she smiles when he tells her to keep the jacket for now since it'll be colder outside than it is in his steamy fogged up truck. Rachel just grins at him and pecks his lips one last time before saying goodnight and heading to her apartment.

::::::::::

Rachel surprises him when she stops in the shop the next morning asking for her usual drink order. It's a Sunday and so far she's never really broken her pattern of 10 a.m. Thursday morning. But she smiles when she sees Noah and she knows it's worth it. Puck hands her the cup when he finishes with it and she sees that her foam art of the day is a butterfly. She tells him that she likes it and he asks what she's up to for the day. When she responds that she's actually taking a guitar class at her work place since she's always wanted to learn, Puck's eyes widen in surprise. _Is there nothing this girl can't do? _He casually tells her that he could teach her sometime if she wants.

Rachel takes a sip of her cappuccino before tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and exclaims, "It's a date!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN again:** So that Laser Gaga show is totally real. I watched a recording of it on Youtube and literally felt like it was laser soft core porn. Haha Feel free to check it out.


	5. Chapter 5

Rachel cannot believe her luck. Earlier this week she had talked to Noah and confirmed a day and time that would work well for both of them for him to give her a guitar lesson. And after what happened at the end of their last get together, she had taken extra time with her appearance to make sure that she looked just right. Except for now, thanks to the sudden surprise rainstorm (which really isn't all that surprising given that she lives in Seattle now); all of her hard work is for naught. The rain has ruined her hair and drenched her clothing but has luckily spared her guitar that is tucked safely in its case that is strapped to her back.

Shoving her now wet stringy hair out of her face, she sighs and keeps walking down Dexter Ave and looking for his apartment complex. It's moments like this that make her wish that she had a car or had at least thought to bring an umbrella today. But she figured that it was less than a mile from her place to his so she could definitely walk it and be there in less than twenty minutes. And really, what's the worst that could happen in twenty minutes? Apparently looking like a drowned rat. When the brunette spots the statue of Poseidon in the courtyard she can't help but laugh and roll her eyes before jokingly cursing at the Greek god that she would get him for this.

Rachel finds his apartment and rings the doorbell and then rubs her hands up and down her arms in a feeble attempt to generate some warmth. When the door opens she smiles and says, "Hello Noah."

Puck just stands there gaping for a moment at the completely sodden female on his doorstep before chuckling and saying, "Damn I never thought I'd make you this wet." He then backs up so that she can enter. She snorts and shoves his shoulder as she brushes past him. Rachel starts to pull off her soaking wet sweater but stops when she hears him talking. "Well I definitely wasn't expecting to get you out of your clothes this quickly. I figured it'd take at least another date or two."

She raises an eyebrow at his words but decides not to comment on them as she asks, "Do you happen to have something that I could change in to while my clothes dry? I'm really not interested in wearing wet jeans all day."

"Yeah sure, I'll be right back," he tells her as he disappears down a hallway before coming back with a sweatshirt and pair of sweatpants for her. "I'm pretty sure everything is going to be too big but at least you'll be dry. The bathroom is right down there," he says as he points in the direction he just came from, "but you're more than welcome to keep stripping for me." He smirks at her.

Rachel just balls up her wet sweater and throws it at his face and laughs at the loud _splat_ it makes upon contact before gathering it up off the floor and heading to the bathroom. While she is in the bathroom, she can't help her curiosity as she pokes around at the various products. She's been wondering for a little while now what it is that makes him, and by extension his clothing that he's constantly offering her, smell so good. She of course recognizes the scent of coffee immediately on the sweatshirt that he handed her but none of the other deodorants, shampoos, and conditioners and after shaves in the bathroom smell anything like Noah. The petite brunette just smiles and shrugs her shoulders when she comes to the conclusion that it must just be an aroma that is distinctly his.

She struggles to get out of her drenched jeans and loses her balance only to crash into the bathroom door. She hears a knock on the door and then, "You ok in there?"

Rachel huffs and stands back up to try again before responding, "Yeah I'm fine. I just hate trying to get off wet denim."

"Want some help?" he chuckles. "I happen to have some experience taking off wet jeans."

Even though he can't see her, she rolls her eyes at the hidden meaning in his sentence as she finally manages to free her legs. Rachel then drags Noah's sweatpants on and does her best to tighten them with the drawstring but no matter how much she pulls, they just want to slide down again. She tosses her hands up in frustration and then puts on the sweatshirt and hopes and prays that it is long enough to cover her and be decent. Looking in the mirror, she sees that it falls somewhere between mid thigh and the tops of her knees and she smiles because the garment completely dwarfs her.

Rachel throws the sweatpants over her shoulder and gathers her wet items in one hand and does her best to keep them away from her body so that she can stay dry. When she opens the door, she finds the hallway empty but can hear the sound of a guitar being played from the living room so she follows it and sees Noah sitting on the couch with an absolutely gorgeous acoustic Gibson guitar. She just stands there for a moment admiring the beauty of the instrument (she's learned a lot about guitars because of her grandfather) before letting her eyes linger on the attractive man playing it; pulling notes from the strings like she expect he'd pull an orgasm from a woman's body. She feels her cheeks flush at the direction her thoughts have taken and so she clears her throat to get his attention.

"Oh hey, I didn't hear you," he says as his eyes rake over her body, noting that she appears to be wearing nothing but his sweatshirt and he can't help but feel his dick twitch.

Rachel bites her bottom lip and then smiles, "It sounded so lovely and I didn't want to disturb you." She holds up her wet items and asks, "Can I borrow your dryer?" He nods and sets aside his guitar as he motions for her to follow him to the laundry room.

Once the dryer is running they return to the living room and he picks up his guitar again. "So why don't you get out your guitar and tell me what you know how to do." She smiles and turns to open her case and when Puck sees it, he can't help but stare in shock at the guitar that Rachel has in her hands. It can't possibly be what he thinks it is. "Rach, is that a Les Paul Junior?" She nods. "How is that even possible? They haven't made those in forever and that thing looks practically brand new."

Rachel looks down at the musical instrument in question and smiles at the black guitar that has a Fleur design done in silver sparkles. "Well it's definitely not new. It was made for my 10th birthday so it's close to twenty years old."

"Do you play it?" he can't help but ask because it looks completely untouched and if he had a rare guitar he'd be showing that bad boy off. But then his mind registers what she just said. "What do you mean it was _made_ for your 10th birthday?"

She picks it up and runs her fingers over the strings, not attempting to actually pluck out a tune, but just enjoying the feel of the instrument in her arms. Her smile is wistful as she says, "My pappy used to make them for all of his grandkids when they turned ten."

His mind feels like it's just exploded with that little piece of information. "Whoa whoa whoa wait a minute and hold the fuckin' phone. Let me get this straight. Your _pappy_ is _the _Les Paul, legendary guitar player and maker? How in the fuck did I not know about this?"

"I didn't realize knowing my ancestry was so important to you," she tells him. "But yes, Pappy was an amazing luthier. I used to be able to sit and watch him work on a guitar for hours even if I didn't completely understand the complexities of what he was doing. I just knew that he was doing something that he loved so that others may do something that they enjoy."

"But how are you related?"

Rachel gathers her hair and pulls it over her shoulder as she explains, "Well my daddy, Hiram, is his son."

He nods because it makes sense. "So then why isn't your last name Paul?"

She giggles and tells him, "Because he took my dad's last name. So my fathers are Leroy and Hiram Berry."

Puck just looks at her with a slightly stunned expression on his face. Hearing that the grandfather of the girl that you're kinda sorta seeing is fuckin' Les Paul is just a trip. And not to forget the tiny little detail that she's got _two_ dads. "Well," he drawls as he attempts to get the subject back on the guitar lesson, "if that's what you're going to play with then I guess I should get mine as well. No point in trying to teach you an electric when I'm on my acoustic." When he returns, he has not only his electric guitar but also a small amp so that she can better hear what her guitar sounds like. "Alright, so why don't you show me what you already know how to do."

She nods and settles her guitar onto her lap as the strap goes over her shoulder and across her back. "Well I haven't been taking lessons for that long so I don't know a lot right now. Artie mainly focused on how to tune your guitar, change the strings and the string order in the beginner classes."

"Sounds about right," he tells her. "So do you remember what order the strings go in?"

Rachel smiles sheepishly at him. "I actually made up a phrase for it. You know how when you were younger and in music class the teacher would teach you how to read the music on the staff paper. My teacher liked to use _Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge_ for the ones on the lines and _FACE_ for the notes between the lines. Well I came up with _Every Brainy Girl Doesn't Always Excel_ to help me remember the order starting with the thinnest E string as the first string."

Puck chuckles as he plugs in her guitar to the amp. "Well that's definitely a lot cleaner than the phrase I came up with when I was trying to learn guitar."

"What did you come up with?" she asks curiously.

"You sure you want to know?" he asks with an arched eyebrow. When she nods her head he just shrugs and says, "You asked for it. But the phrase that my young teenage self came up with was _Every Bad Girl Does Anal Eventually_."

Rachel gasps, "Noah!"

The handsome man just laughs at the scandalized expression on her face and says, "What you said you wanted to know."

"Yes well I didn't think it would be so vulgar," she admonishes him but she can't stop the heat that warms her cheeks.

Puck just leans over and gives her a quick kiss on the lips, which startles her slightly and does nothing to remove the color from her cheeks. "It's all just part of my charm. But yeah, as long as you can remember your phrase you should be fine. Now do you know anything about where to place your fingers on the strings in order to actually play the notes?"

They spend the next hour or so actually going over the proper finger placement on the strings and trying to learn a scale and Puck somehow winds up sitting behind Rachel with his arms wrapped around her in order to help her. It's definitely the most physically close kind of instruction that either of them has ever been a part of and it's starting to get to the both of them. Puck finds himself struggling to keep from kissing the smooth expanse of her neck that is exposed and Rachel's head is swimming with his scent. It just feels like it is everywhere all at once right now.

She can feel his warm breath skitter across her skin and she shudders involuntarily when his lips gently brush against her neck. Her fingers slip across the strings when he presses again more firmly. His fingers slide down her arms until he reaches her hands which are now grasping on to the guitar as his mouth steadily moves along her neck and shoulder. Puck eases her hands off the instrument and places it softly (_what?_ _You gotta respect a guitar made by fucking Les Paul_) on the coffee table so that it's out of their way.

One hand cups the back of her head and turns it slightly towards him so that he can kiss her properly as the rest of her body twists around so that she's now straddling his lap. His other hand glides along the silky softness of her naked thigh, slowly going higher and higher with each sweep of her leg. Her skin is legit the smoothest he's ever felt and he just wants to touch more of it.

Rachel's small hands grasp on to his biceps as their tongues tease each other. Her fingers clutch on to his strong muscles as she loses herself in the kiss. She can feel his fingers teasing along the lace edge of her panties across her butt and she mewls as she pushes back against his hands. Her hands quickly strip him of his shirt and she stops kissing him long enough to stare at the hard muscles of his chest (that is so much more attractive than she ever imagined) before quickly reattaching her lips to his.

The couple gets so involved with each other that neither hears the front door open until Sam is clearing his throat and they spring apart. Rachel shoves the sweatshirt down her legs in an attempt to cover up as she smiles and says, "Hi. How was your day?"

Sam smiles and replies, "Not as good as yours apparently." Rachel just blushes and buries her head against Noah's neck as he chuckles. The blonde winks at them before walking down the hallway to his bedroom and calling out, "Rä'ä ronsem oe."

* * *

><p><strong>Translation: <strong>Don't mind me

**A/N:** **A/N:** And there you have the final installment of this short sweet story. I had a blast writing it and looking up the real locations that I used (and don't own along with not owning Glee) and now want to go to. You can also see the way that I played with Rachel's family history because I thought that it would be a fun twist and seeing as how we don't know anything about her family other than her dads and Shelby I figured it was free reign. I hope y'all enjoyed it.

Thank you to jennh07 for helping me out with ideas for this story. Chunks of this wouldn't have existed without our conversations. And of course thank you to sarcastic_fina for prompting the idea because the whole story wouldn't even be here without those images.


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